2022-23 Season
Game 31
April 22, 2023
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Torino 0-1
On a day when Lazio do not play well, the referee makes sure Torino win
The team
Maurizio Sarri is forced not to play Ciro Immobile. King Ciro the previous weekend was involved in a car crash with a tram and came out with a fractured rib and a problem with his arm. But Ciro was able to train decently in the last two days, so at least he is on the bench. Patric is preferred to Nicolò Casale who had problems before the game against Spezia and Matias Vecino substitutes Danilo Cataldi suspended.
A difficult match against Torino who are a good team and very well organised. Seeing the deep hatred between Presidents Urbano Cairo and Claudio Lotito, we can be sure that the Granata will not be as passive on the pitch as in the game against Roma.
The match
After just 30 seconds Pedro goes off on the right and crosses into the box, Mattia Zaccagni manages to head the ball towards the goal, Vanja-Milinkovic Savic fumbles but he is able to catch it on the second attempt right on the goal line.
Despite the initial chance, one can immediately see however that Lazio are in difficulty. The Biancocelesti are not dangerous and the referee does not help. In the 13th minute Singo hugs Elseid Hysaj in the box but Ghersini says play on.
In the 20th minute on the counterattack Antonio Sanabria to Nemanja Radonijc, his shot is well saved by Ivan Provedel.
A number of Torino fouls are ignored by Ghersini and when he does blow his whistle he generally does not book. There should have been a yellow card, at least one, for Wilfried Singo and Koffi Djidji for fouls on Zaccagni.
In the 43rd minute Torino score. Ivan Ilic receives the ball thirty metres from goal but central, his shot bounces right in front of Provedel who is not able to control it and the ball goes in. To note is that the throw in that started the play saw Ricardo Rodriguez have one foot on the pitch. It should have been disallowed by VAR but they missed it.
Second half
In the 54th minute in come Immobile and Marcos Antonio for Pedro and Vecino. A minute later Zaccagni’s shot goes just out and in the 57th, former West Ham United player Nikola Vlasic puts in a low cross from the right, Radonijc went for the kill but Provedel saves.
In the 63rd minute Singo is finally booked but not for a foul but for wasting time. Radonjic is replaced by Yann Karamoh in the 69th minute and shortly after in come Manuel Lazzari and Casale, out go Hysaj and Patric. Lazio make many mistakes but at least now they have a playmaker in Marcos Antonio and the ball travels a lot faster. Maybe he should have been in from the start. Lazzari is dangerous on the right but his crosses are always cleared by the Torino defence.
The referee, in total confusion, continues to avoid booking Singo for the second time, so the Torino manager Ivan Juric takes him off just in case. In comes Andreaw Gravillon who immediately is shown a yellow card for elbowing Adam Marusic in the face.
Lazio do try to create opportunities but are not dangerous. Zaccagni has a couple of chances but is not as lethal as in previous games. Not a good match for Luis Alberto nor Felipe Anderson either. Ghersini avoids booking Gravillon a second time despite many bookable offences. The Biancocelesti get more and more nervous. Luca Pellegrini comes in for Marusic with ten minutes to go. Lazio increase their crosses in the box but to no avail.
Torino win, perhaps deservedly, exploiting a bad day in the office for the Biancocelesti and an even worse one for the referee.
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Marusic (81' Pellegrini), Patric (69' Casale), Romagnoli, Hysaj (69' Lazzari), S. Milinkovic-Savic, Vecino (54' Marcos Antonio), Luis Alberto;, Pedro (54' Immobile), Felipe Anderson, Zaccagni.
Substitutes: Maximiano, Adamonis, Cancellieri, Romero, Gila, Basic, Fares.
Manager: Sarri
Who played for Torino
V. Milinkovic-Savic, Djidji, Schuurs, Buongiorno, Singo (77' Gravillon), Linetty, Ilic, Rodriguez, Vlasic, Radonjic (69' Karamoh), Sanabria.
Substitutes: Gemello, Forenza, Bayeye, Lazaro, Adopo, Seck, Vojvoda, Ricci, Miranchuk, Gineitis.
Manager: Juric.
Referee: Ghersini
Goal: 43’ Ilic
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